Morag Kuc

Plans for a Holiday Lodge development at Dowrie Burn near Luthermuir were revealed at a well attended public meeting in the Ramsay Arms Hotel in Fettercairn on Monday evening.

Around 30 local residents were given details of the project which would see more than 50 luxury holiday lodges located on the site of a derelict piggery.

The audience was assured there was absolutely no foundation for concerns that the site would be used by the travelling community.

A company spokesman told the audience: “There never has been, is not now, and never will be any provision for the travelling community on this site.”

Landowner, Bill Mcdonald, who is investing more than a million pounds in the project, attended the public meeting to answer any questions and put the speculation to rest.

The residents were shown drawings of the proposed development which includes country walks, wildlife hides and fishing ponds.

They were also shown photographs of luxury lodges which already exist on two other sites in which Mr McDonald has am interest.

Project architects, Allan Mudie and Rodger Brunton then answered a series of questions from the audience regarding the provision of services, waste disposal and other environmental issues.

They assured those in attendance that all the required impact studies were being carried out by professional consultants and these reports would form part of the application.

They would then become public documents and would be available for anyone to examine.

Most of the residents’ concerns centred on the narrow single-track road leading to the Dowrie Burn site.

Mr Mudie explained that as part of the planning process Aberdeenshire Council Roads Department would consider the impact of the proposed development and impose any conditions, such as passing places, signs or speed restrictions, which they felt necessary.

However he understood the residents’ concerns and said he would take them on board when submitting the application.

Mr Mudie added that he anticipated that the application would be lodged with Aberdeenshire Council by the middle of May.